High-potential electric switch.



APPLICATION FILED APR.6,1911.

Patented June 11, 1912.

2 SHEETS SHEBT 1,

G. C. BADEAU.

HIGH POTENTIAL ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED APE. 6,1911.

Patented June 11, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

fl w a Svwewfoz 33313 114 QHoI-Me UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES C. BAIjEAU, OF WINTHBOP, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO SEARS B.CONDIT. JR., OF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

HIGH-POTENTIAL ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 11, 1912.

Application filed April 6, 1911. Serial No. 619,448.

To all wh0m it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES C. BADEAU, a citizen of the United States,residing at \Vinthrop, in the county of Suffolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inHigh- Potential Electric Switches, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to high potential electric oil switches. Switchesof this kind are commonly provided with heavy movable contact parts, andare sometimes provided with counter-weights or powerful springs to givea normal bias toward an open position, to the end that when released therebound of the spring or counter-weight will effect a rapid rupture ofthe circuit, and a minimum damage from the electric arcs due to thecircuit rupture. These switches are used in transmitting currents ofhigh voltage and large amperage, so that the amount of energy set freeat the moment of circuit rupture is always very large, and sometimes, asin the case of heavy overloads or short circuits, is enormous, resultingin strains on the vessel containing the oil bath, which sometimes is sosevere as to rupture them with explosive violence. A further incident ofthe operation of such switches is the throwing of oil when the circuitis open, by the violent commotion created by the arc gases set free.

My invention is designed to overcome these objectionable features andprovide an oil switch compact, structurally, capable of use with veryhigh potentials, and with currents of large volume, and which willprevent the splashing of oil over the station in which the switch islocated.

I carry out my invention by providing a cast iron support by which theswitch may be attachedto a wall or switchboard, and which has ahorizontal plate on which a group of oil vessels may be'supported. Theopenings through which the carrier for the movable contacts pass areprovided with a foraminous material which will permit the escape of airor gas but retard discharge of oil, and around the 0 rating mechanismand top plate aforesai I provide a metal dome or cover which inclosessaid mechanism, said dome being provided with vents or openings whichwill'permit egress of gases but prevent discharge of oil. The

high potential leads are brought into the several oil vessels of theswitch through porcelain insulators, and metallic terminals are mountedon the insulators and incloscd within multitubular layers of insulationwith oil spaces intervening between so as to withstand rupture by veryhigh electric potentials, these contacts being mounted so that they areadjustable to compensate for the irregular shrinkage of the porcelain insulators during their process of manufacture. To increase thecompactness of the structure I mount a biasing spring in a casing belowthe support for the oil vessels, and provide a parallel motion restoringmechanism acted upon by the spring. The current closing mechanism actsuvon this parallel motion system by means oi a roller supported in apair of links, constituting a yoke-shaped support which may be shiftedforward to close the switch by the operating lever which projectsthrough the casting; and to assure a quick make and break I mount in thepath of the roller and on the parallel motion levers a roller, overwhich the operating roller must ride in its movement toward the closingand opening position, and this roller is placed at a point where it isengaged by the operating roller when the movable contacts are nearing acircuit closing position, by reason of which a rapid thrust downward orupward is caused when the circuit is made or broken.

My invention therefore comprises an oil switch provided with aventilating dome or cover inclosing the operating mechanism andpreventing the sputtering of oil.

It comprises also a spring retractor, giving a normal bias toward anopening position, and an operating mechanism within the ventilatingdome.

It comprises further an opening mechanism havlng a normal opening biasand a cam roller mechanism for giving a quick thrust when the circuit ismade or broken.

It comprises also an adjustable terminal provided wit-h a multitubularinsulation with intervening oil spaces; and other features, the noveltyof which will be hereinafter more fully described.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate my invention, Figure 1 isa sectional view on a broken plane which passes through the dome, oiltanks and spring casing, the remaining parts being in elevation.

Fig. 2 is, a sectional view on a horizontal plane, showing in plan theerating mechanism and a section of the ome. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectionon a lane at right angles to that of Fig. 1, the plane passing throughone of the oil vessels. Fig. 4 is a sectional detail of one of the fixedcontacts.

Referring now in detail to the drawings,

1 indicates a casting on which is a horizontal flanged extension 2, inwhich are open ings through which the movable members of the switch mayoperate. A plurality of oil tanks are supported on the extension 2, asindicated at 3, 3, 3", and a cast iron dome 4 surmounts the plateinclosing'the operatin mechanism and the moving contacts. his dome isprovided with holes indicated at to provide a vent for air and gases.The movable contacts are supported rom a cast iron frame 6, on which issupported in metal caps 7 a wooden or fiber carrier 8 for the movablecontact. This contact as seen best at 9, Fig. 3, is composed of a bundleof laminae of sheet copper of phosphor bronze and an arcing strip 10 ofstiffer stock, which may be of the same material.

The contacts are operated in the switch shown in the drawings by a pairof parallel levers 11, 12, each having two arms, these levers beingivoted at the outer end to the casting 6, and at'the other end in theframe of the switch. The lower lever 12 carries angular arms 13 in thenature of a crank, in the ends of which is mounted a steel roller 14,hearing on the head of a spring actuated thrust pin 15 operated by apowerful coil spring 16. A pm 17 limits the mo tion of, the thrust pin.The spring and thrust in are contained within a casing 18, screwe to theswitch frame.

19, 19, is an operating lever projecting through the casting, and whichmay be provided with'a handle or other operating device. It is pivotedto aconnecting pin 21 between two links 22, 22, mounted on an axis 23.These links lie at right an les to the'operating levers 11 and 12 and r0ler 24.

pivoted on the pin 21 rides upon the lever 11. The levers 11 and 12 arein pairs, as will be seen from Fig. 3. On one of the levers 11 is a stud25, indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. In the retracted switch itionthis stud is in close relation to bloc 26, secured to link 22, thearrangement being such that when motion is given to the roller 21 tooperate the switch the stud 25 will move past the block 26 and give aclosing movement to the switch, but if the normal bias 6o ing springshould break the stud 25 will interlock with the block 26 and preventthe switch from closin 7 v The orcelain insulators and the fixed terminas will be understood from the sectional view in F 3. The high potentialleads 27 pass through the hollow insulators and terminate in a metalterminal 28, in which is secured a fixed copper bar 29 on the lower endof which is secured one of the fixed contacts of the switch 30. Thiscontact is formed by a plate of copper screwed on the end of the bar 29and locked by a nut 31, thus rendering its position adjustable. Thisadjustability is of great value in oil switches when used with porcelaininsulators, as the adjustable terminal compensates for the variation inthe size of the orcelain due to irregular shrinkage. Around the end ofthe porcelain I place a fiber tube 32, and around the copper bar 29 Iplace similar smaller tubes 33 and 34, these tubes being of suchdiameter that a free oil space will be maintained between them toincrease the breakdown potential between the fixed terminals and thebridging contact 9, and to prevent the are from following along thefixed contact leads 29. The oil vessels are hung from the casting by aplurality of rods such as 35. The oil vessel '15 formed of galvanizedsheet iron, reinforced at top and bottom, and the support ing rods arepassed through this reinforced part as indicated in Fig. 3, thus greatlystrengthening the tank and adaptin it to withstand much greaterpressures. n case of the circuit opening on heavy overload, the pressureis sometimes so great as to ture the oil tank, as they are commonly madeof thin stock. The st-ructure I have provided prevents such a result, asit greatky increases the ability of the tank to wit stand ex losivestrains. with a ti r or other insulating lining, pref; erably withoutjoints, as by forming the lining of a homogeneous insulating cup, as.indicated at 36.

'Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new and desire tocover by Letters Patent, is:

1. An oil switch provided with a movable contact normally biased to openposition, an operating device for moving it to closed position, and aninterlock to permit closure normally but to prevent closure if the biasfails.

2. An oil switch provided with a movable contact and a coil springgiving a normal bias to the open position, an operating de vice formoving it to closed position, and a mechanical interlock between themovable contact carrier and the operating means to prevent closure ofthe switch if the spring breaks.

3. A high potential oil switch provided with an oil vessel in whichcontact is made and broken, a pivoted frame, movable contacts carriedthereby, an o crating arm and a roller in the-path of t lie arm near theclosing position of the switch to insure a quick make and break.

Each tank is lined 4. A high potential oil switch provided with anoilvessel in which contact is made and broken, a pivoted frame, movablecontacts carried thereby, an o erating arm carrying a cam roller to shit the frame, said cam roller engaging a latching roller near the closedposition of the switch to effect a rapid make and break.

5, In a high potential oil switch a plurality of moving contacts,parallel motion mechanism for reci rocating them; means for giving anorma opening bias, a roller engaging the mechanism to close the switch,and .a cooperating roller on the movable member engaged near the closingswitch position to lock it in such position.

6. An oil switch provided with an operating lever, a movable contactpartially connected therewith, a biasing spring normally holding thecontacts open, an operating arm, a cam roller operated thereby to shiftthe movable contact, and a locking roller engaging the cam roller in theclosed switch position.

7. An oil switch provided with movable contacts, parallel levers foropening and closin the contacts, means for giving normal bias toward theopen position, a cam roller movable in an are engaging the levers togive closing movement, and a locking roller in path of the cam rollernear the closed position of the switch to give a rapid make and breakmovement and to lock the switch closed.

8. A high potential oil switch containing oil pots formed of sheet metalwith a reinforced bottom, a seamless insulating cup lining the severalpots and a plurality of tie rods engaging the pots at a reinforced partand clamping the vessels to the supporting casting to prevent damagefrom explosion.

9. An oil switch provided with a bridging contact breaking pn upwardmovement, fixed vertically movable contacts secured to cop or extensionsof the high potential lea and multisectional insulating barriersaround'the extensions with intervening oil s aces along the line oftravel of the movable contact, the outer barriers being slotted topermit engagement of the contacts. 7

10. An oil switch provided with porcelain insulators, high potentialleads within the insulators, metallic rods secured in the insulators,adjustable fixed contacts to compensate for irregular shrinkage of theporcelain and a bridging contact vertically movable to engage said fixedcontacts.

11. A high potential oil switch comprising an oil bath, a verticallyreciprocating movable bridging contact-therein, and fixed contacts, theleads of which are inclosed in multisectional insulating jackets havingintervening oil spaces in close relation to the path of the bridgingcontact, whereby the bridging contact may be shifted upwardly in openingthe circuit, and the contacts may be brought in close relation.

12. A high potential oil switch having its operating mechanism housedwithin a ventilating dome, said device having a multiplicity of smallopenings to form gas vents and mounted between the insulators for thefixed contact terminals.

13. A high potential oil switch having its operating mechanism housedwithin a ventilating dome having a multiplicity of downwardly inclinedsmall gas vents and mounted between the insulators for the fixedterminals.

14. A high potential oil switch having one or more layers of gauze overthe oil vessel to permit escape of air; and prevent escape of oil, and aventilating dome around the operating mechanism and over the openingsfor the removable contacts, sai dome being provided with perforations in'ts side walls to permit free escape of gases and to prevent spatteringof oil.

15. A high potential oil "switch promded with a supporting framecarrying nsulators for the fixed contacts and a ventilating dome betweenthe insulators around the openings for the movable contactsand theiroperating mechanism, said dome having a multiplicity of openings in itswalls to prevent spattering of oil and permit free escape of gases.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES C. BADEAU.

Witnesses:

Roar. H. READ, G120. N. KERR.

